Educational tag

Our field supervisor will leave a blue educational tag on one of your garbage, recycling or other carts if there is a problem with your setout. The tag will list both the date when the problem was noticed and the deadline to clean it up.

If you don't clean the area by 6 a.m. on the due date written on the blue tag, our crews will clean it and bill you for the service.

Whenever a blue tag is left, we will also send you a courtesy letter via the US Postal Service to inform you of your clean up due date. 

Cleaning responsibility

Your pickup location is either at the alley or curb line. It is your responsibility to keep the area around your pickup location clean of litter and debris. This area:

• Starts where your property meets the alley or street
• Runs the entire length of your property 
• Goes 20 feet from the alley or street back onto your property

Collection time

Carts and large items must be at the alley or curb line by 6 a.m. on your designated pickup day.

Bagged and cleaned collection point

City ordinance requires you to bag garbage and keep the area around your carts clean. 

• Garbage must be bagged. 
• Clean up loose litter around your carts and within 20 feet of the alley or curb line.

Excess garbage

Your cart(s) should hold your weekly garbage. If you often have more garbage than your cart(s) can hold, call us to get another cart. You may have two bags or boxes outside of your cart on occasion.

• Garbage outside your cart must be in a bag or a box.
• Each bag or box must weigh less than 40 pounds. 

You can bring large amounts of excess garbage or building and paving materials to our Transfer Station. You must call our office to request a voucher before going to the Transfer Station. 

Get a voucher to drop-off waste

Illegal materials

Illegal materials were in your cart or at your collection point. We do not collect the following items with garbage or recycling. 

• Fluorescent lights (bulbs)
• Building materials
• Hazardous waste
• Pressurized tanks
• Motor oil
• Paint
• Auto parts
• Dirt / soil / rocks
• Concrete

Use our Disposal Guide to find out how to get rid of an item

Improper yard waste set out

Yard waste is not allowed in any City-provided cart. 

• Bagged yard waste must be in paper lawn and leaf bags or BPI certified compostable plastic bags.
• Brush, branches and vines must be less than 3 inches in diameter and three feet long and secured with string or twine.
• Reusable containers must be 32-38 gallons in size and 26-32 inches tall with sturdy handles.
• All bags, bundles and reusable containers must be less than 40 pounds when full.
• Sod and dirt are not accepted.
• Yard waste is only collected during the yard waste season.

Learn more about yard waste collection

Overweight cart

Each cart must weigh less than 200 pounds.

Cart tippers cannot lift more than 200 pounds. You need to remove some of your waste into a bag or another container so it can be emptied. 

Use our disposal guide to find out how to get rid of items

Large items

Only two (2) large items can be set out each collection day. Large recyclable items can only be set out on your recycling week.

• Garbage day: Wood furniture and couches.
• Recycling week: Appliances, electronics, mattresses, and metal items.
  • You must remove doors from fridges/freezers.
  • You must remove concrete from pipes and poles. 

Learn more about Large Item Collection

Roll and tie carpet and rugs

Carpet and rugs must be rolled and tied.

Rolls must be:

• Less than 5 feet long
• Less than 12 inches in diameter
• Weigh less than 40 pounds per roll
• Tied with rope, twine or tape

Tires are not collected

We do not collect tires. 

Call our office to request a tire voucher to bring tires to the Transfer Station. There is no fee if you use a voucher.

Request a voucher

Abuse of City collection services

City collection services are only for material generated at the property receiving the service. We will mail you a letter if we think you are abusing City collection services. Examples of abuse include: 

• Setting out items from another property
• Using your City collection service to manage waste from a business